Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe cover of Action Comics 1, a reproduction that appears on a fence outside where the Joe Shuster house once stood at the corners of Parkwood and Amor in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The daughter of Jerry Siegel, the co-creator of Superman, said her father loved Cleveland because it was the first city to embrace a character who would one day be one of the most recognizable icons in the world.

While in town visiting relatives, Laura Siegel Larson attended a meeting of the Siegel and Shuster Society and said her father would be proud of the work the group is doing to promote Cleveland as the home of Superman creators Siegel and Joe Shuster.

"My father created a bunch of characters and he loved them all," said the California resident. "But he always had a special place in his heart for Superman. He created a character here in Cleveland that is known and loved throughout the world."

The Siegel and Shuster Society wants to get the message out that Superman is a Clevelander born and bred, created in a modest house on Kimberly Avenue in Glenville.

Within days, a Christmas tree decorated with Superman ornaments will be up at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

Society member Jamie Reigle of Olmsted Falls, owner of CMOS Collectibles, went through his vast collection of Superman memorabilia and put together a mementos such as action figures, wallets and stuffed toys to link Superman to the city.

The society, a non-profit group dedicated to promoting the superhero and his connection to Cleveland, is working with the airport to install a permanent Superman display there.

Society President Michael Olszewski said the display will be next to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit in the main concourse and will inform, educate and entertain passersby about the Man of Steel. A design firm is creating the display, which will include tributes to Siegel and Shuster as well as Superman.

"We want it to become a point of interest," he said. "We want the phrase, 'Meet me at Superman,' to become a common saying at the airport."

One of the ideas is to have a larger-than-life Superman statue at the airport, a perfect place for tourists to be photographed.

Laura Siegel said her mother, Joanne, who posed as Lois Lane for artist Joe Shuster, is excited about the idea of a celebration of Superman's 75th birthday in Cleveland in 2013. The event would mark 75 years since DC Comics released "Action Comics" No. 1 , which marked the beginning of the superhero comic book phenomenon.

The board is still considering ideas, including a Superman-themed comic book convention.

Board member Matthew Rizzuto asked Laura how her late father would react to a recent story where a downtrodden family facing foreclosure found a copy of "Action Comics" No. 1 hidden in their house. It sold for nearly $500,000, Reigle said.

"He would be so thrilled," she said, beaming. "The thought that something he created so long ago would help a family today would just have made him so happy."

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